Sadira's Sin
by lizathon
Summary: Agrabah's favorite sorceress has been known to strike up the sand but few know she's been playing with fire as well. Can she douse the flames of passion, or have they already trapped her in a wicked inferno?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Aladdin or anything pertaining to the franchise.

Sadira clutched the soft fabric of the bench as she waited for the mystic to tell her what she already knew to be true. It was a back alley kind of practice, hidden in one of the darker corners of the marketplace. Her purpose there was more frowned upon than magic itself.

An old woman with hair so gray it appeared silver hobbled into the room. Her clothes were worn from frequent washing, but more refined than most. She smiled enigmatically, offering Sadira a cup of tea. She took it gladly, needing something to calm her nerves. "It is true," she said to the younger woman. "You are with child." Her eyes twinkled with a glint of mischief. "But you already knew that." Her connection to magic made her body sensitive to such changes.

"Yes," her voice was barely audible. Tears welled in her eyes, unable to fall. They were frozen with terror. The woman nodded, more intrigued than sympathetic.

"Then why did you come?"

Sadira sniffled. She raised the cup to her lips with shaking hands. "I…" she faltered. "I just wanted to hear it wasn't true."

The diviner made a noncommittal noise, shaking her head. "Firstborn sons fill mothers' hearts with unspeakable joy."

Sadira stopped floating in the abyss of self-pity and raised one of her brown eyebrows. "I-it's a boy?" she asked tentatively.

The woman squinted, as if making sure. Then she nodded. "He will grow strong in the ways of his father." The younger woman cringed – _father_. That was the part it petrified her to think about. "Is something wrong?"

Sadira looked like she was about to faint. She shook her head, cheeks flushing with shame. "Well, um…you see, the thing is…I'm not married…e-exactly." She didn't know why she was telling a complete stranger such personal information, but this was the only time she'd be able to talk about her situation before she had to do something about it.

The diviner smiled a wise old smile and wore the face of one who had seen nine hundred battles and a thousand victories. "Child, no married woman in Agrabah comes to a psychic for midwifery." Sadira rubbed her temples.

"Right," she said dryly. So the woman already thought she was a harlot. _Well_, she thought grimly, _I better get used to that assumption_.

She walked out into the streets feeling very much like a ghost. How was she going to tell him? She shook her head furiously. Never mind that. How was she going to tell _them_? Her friends didn't even know about their extended series of trysts. They despised him. The thought made her look down and cradle her still flat abdomen. Would they hate her baby too?

She walked through the sandy city, turning a number of corners until she got back to her place. Once inside, she shut her curtains to make sure no one was peeping in and grabbed a pouch of enchanted sand from under the makeshift bed. Carefully, she sprinkled some on the floor and a portal opened. She stepped through and appeared in the Land of the Black Sand.

She found Mozenrath in his study, where he almost always was. Shelves packed with magical texts lined the walls from ceiling to floor. The first time Sadira saw it she thought it may have been the greatest collection in the world – then again she didn't have much to compare it to. She took a moment to lean against the doorway and stare fondly at the mysterious sorcerer. He looked almost harmless hunched over a book like that; as much so as he could with that deadly gauntlet on his arm.

"You should _really_ take that thing off when you're not using it," she said, finally making her presence known. It would probably save him a lot of energy.

"And you _really _should not lecture people who can kill you with minimal effort," he mocked her without bothering to look up, "Especially when you've just teleported into their domains completely unannounced."

Just then, Xerxes peeked out from a pile of parchment and flew toward the girl. "SADIRA!" he exclaimed, wriggling around in her arms. Sadira chuckled, feeling something other than anxiety for the first time in days.

"Why, hello Xerxes," she said pleasantly. She scratched the creature's belly fondly. "That's the warmest welcome I've ever gotten around here." She cut eyes at Mozenrath who was only half listening.

"Xerxes miss Sadira," the eel wailed. "Sadira gone too long!" he protested in his broken dialect. Sadira frowned, feeling a little guilty. She was probably the only source of kindness in the little guy's life.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I just had a few things I needed to attend to." And many more she'd have the displeasure of getting to later.

The strange pet gave a toothy smile. "Sadira no sorry for Xerxes. Master the one upset. He say he drag sand witch back from Agrabah soon if-"

"Xerxes!" Mozenrath threatened, flushing slightly. No tact – that little reptile. He would maim him later for this. Xerxes flinched and slithered out of the room, evading his punishment for the time being.

Sadira smirked, sitting on the edge of the table. She crossed her arms over her chest. "So," she challenged confidently, "You missed me." He scoffed.

"Hardly. Don't delude yourself Sadira. I have far too much planning to do to concern myself with your whereabouts." Instinctively she started running her hand through his mass of dark curls.

"I can tell," She absentmindedly twisted the gold ring around her third finger. "When was the last time you even slept?"

"With you?" he teased. "Significantly too long ago." With that he snapped his fingers and she fell into his lap, literally. She huffed in frustration.

"Would you stop transporting me without my permission? You know I hate that!" She sighed knowing that was the exact reason he did it. He pulled back the layers of her top and began to kiss her neck and collarbone. Her head tipped back as his lips caressed her cleavage and her toes curled with the sensation. They started kissing and her flesh began to heat up. After a few minutes she broke away. This was what got her into this mess in the first place.

"Not what I came here for," she murmured into the crook of his neck. He smirked, having almost forgotten how one track minded she could be.

"You can borrow whatever spell book you wanted when we're done."

She sighed, finally prying herself from his lap. "I'm just not in the mood." She crossed her arms.

"We can fix that," he retorted. "Just give me a minute."

"Moze!" she whined, exasperated. The wizard took a second to really look at her. She seemed tired, and her magical signature was a bit off – like something extra was there.

"What's gotten into you?" he wondered out loud. _Unfortunately you_, she thought bitterly.

"Nothing…I'm just tired."

He considered this a moment. "Well, I suppose slumming around Agrabah like a street mouse must be tiring. I don't see why you don't just leave that destitute wasteland behind and come live here."

She brushed the idea aside almost immediately. "My friends would get suspicious if I just disappeared without a trace," she said. "And besides, if you think Agrabah is so _destitute,_ why do you want it so badly?"

He took her hand pulling her closer yet. "Because, my pet, it's there."

She had to laugh. The arrogance of his logic was strangely endearing. "Seriously," she said. "That's it? That's the whole reason you've been doing all this?" The things money and idle time did to people.

"What are you getting at?" he asked. He was unsure about this new belligerence in her.

"I'm just saying you're like the smartest person I know…"

"Go on," he said.

She rolled her eyes. "It's just, haven't you ever thought of doing something else? Something better, maybe."

He smirked, pulling out his map of the seven deserts. "Sadira, I intend on being the all powerful ruler of a large empire. What could be better than that?" Sadira traced her fingers over the map wanting nothing more than to reduce it all to sand. Her eyes filled with tears again but she wouldn't let them fall. Not this time.

"You know what, you're right." She knew now what she had to do. He would never change so she could never tell him about their son.

"Naturally," he boasted. "Now sit down and let me tell you my latest plan to conquer the seven deserts."

Instead Sadira walked over to one of the bookshelves and took out a volume on spells of concealing. "You know what, I'm gonna have to take a rain check on that one," she said, already conjuring her portal.

"Well, alright." He went to her and placed a kiss on her lips. His fingers traced lazy patterns onto her lower back. She sighed into it and two tears slid down her cheeks. Why did it have to be like this? "Are you crying? By Allah, what is wrong with you, woman?" She placed a finger on his lips, silent tears flowing in abundance now.

"I have to leave," she said. "I'm sorry." Then she stepped into the portal, literally and metaphorically slipping from his grasp in the process.

Sadira reappeared in her room, hoping to grieve in peace and solitude, but instead she found royal guards moving trunks of her stuff. "What the-" she started, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Razoul!" She exclaimed, stopping the head guard. "What is the meaning of this?" The burly man flinched. The girl always seemed to appear out of thin air. He despised witchcraft.

"Take it up with the princess, street mouse," he condescended. "We were ordered to move all your _things_ to the palace."

"I don't suppose it would matter if I asked you to stop," she deadpanned.

Razoul chuckled and tossed one of her trunks down to a cart below. She scowled. "I see you're a smarter street mouse than I originally thought." And he was far stupider than she could even fathom.

"Sadira! There you are." The princess Jasmine and her husband Aladdin sat by the fountain enjoying a midday snack.

She gave a halfhearted wave. "Hey guys. Mind telling me why all my things are being relocated?"

Aladdin looked to his wife, surprised. "Jasmine, you didn't_ ask _her first?"

The princess smiled sheepishly. "Sorry! I was just too excited?"

"About?" Sadira bit the inside of her cheek, trying not to get annoyed. She had a lot to worry about without this new intrusion. Jasmine stood and clasped hands with her friend.

"Well, as you know, my father plans to step down as Sultan soon." The princess was nearly bouncing off the walls. "And, Aladdin and I would like you to act as our magic grand vizier for the duration of our reign." Agrabah hadn't had one since the great Jafar fiasco. Sadira's heart nearly melted.

"W-wow. I'm honored. What would the job entail? I'm not sure I'm exactly qualified." At least to their knowledge, she was nothing more than an amateur sand witch.

"Well, you'd represent Agrabah's interests to the magical community and you would act as an adviser to Jasmine and I. In a way, you do all these things already so you might as well have the title that goes with it."

"You'd live in the palace," Jasmine added. "And of course, you'd have your own detail of servants as well as a new wardrobe – including jewelry – and a yearly budget of…" The number was so astronomical it nearly made her ears short-circuit. She was being handed the life of a noblewoman within grasping distance of royalty – much more than a girl of her background was even allowed to dream of, but somewhere in her gut it felt like betrayal. After all, her clandestine lover was a known enemy of Agrabah. It was a conflict of interest to say the least.

Remembering the microscopic life that was growing within her, Sadira put him out of her head. She would not condemn her child to the life of a street rat because she was rotten at choosing who to tumble in the sheets with.

"So will you do it?" Jasmine asked, derailing her train of thought and strengthening her resolve.

"Of course I will."

Notes: I haven't really thought about this show in a number of years, but I recently rediscovered it through a post on tumblr. Please let me know what you think and if anything is wrong (names of things, out of character actions etc.) The next installment should be up shortly.


	2. Chapter 2

Month Three

The mid-afternoon sun cast a russet orange glow over the vast Arabian skies. Sadira wiped the corners of her mouth with a folded napkin. After kneeling over the chamber pot for the third time that day, she checked the almanac in her posh palace bedroom. She'd been with child for about three moon cycles now, and feared her stomach was starting to show.

She stood in the full body mirror placed in the corner of the room and rolled up her green silk shirt. The change was microscopic and would be nearly invisible to anyone else. Her tight defined abdominal muscles had loosened into a soft pouch.

"Sadira!" Jasmine entered the room but stopped in her tracks to stare at her friend incredulously. "What are you doing?"

The former thief began to sweat. There should not have been a normal explanation for why she was standing sideways in the mirror with her shirt rolled all the way up, but luckily her years on the street taught Sadira to think on her feet. "Jasmine," she whined. "I'm getting fat."

"Of course you're not," was the young politician's natural rebuttal, but her amber eyes slid down to Sadira's tummy nonetheless.

"Are you kidding?" She turned around and flopped onto the bed, cleverly concealing her stomach from the princess' view. "I used to have rock hard abs." They were one of the assets the princess most coveted. Sadira whimpered into the plush bed cushions, fake feelings of distress blending to a puree with her real ones.

Jasmine sighed and took a seat on the edge of the bed. "That is true," she allowed, "palace life tends to do that to people, but you deserve to relax. You've had such a hard life."

Sadira chuckled mirthlessly. "You have _no_ idea. But what else is up?" She sat up, in a hurry to change the subject.

"Right. Well, you've been helping us with all the legislation for the past two months, so it's really natural that you meet some of our political allies."

"Sure. When's the next meeting?" She hoped it would be well after her delivery as appearing swollen with a bastard child wouldn't leave the best impression on visiting legislators.

"Today. Father is throwing a feast tonight and we'd all love for you to be there." Sadira's stomach turned at the thought.

"F-feast," she repeated. She brought a hand to her stomach. The very notion of food repulsed her. It was a cruel device of fate that the girl who starved the majority of her life couldn't enjoy such an occasion.

The princess nodded. "The biggest one since my wedding. They're shipping in delicacies from all over the world, so I hope you're hungry."

"Famished," she managed while trying not to visualize anything. After a bit more small talk, the princess departed leaving Sadira to kneel over the chamber pot for the fourth time that day. It would be a miracle if she digested anything at all.

Lord Mozenrath was irritated to say the least. Since overthrowing Destane so many years ago he'd grown accustomed to solitude. He had no need for human companionship, for friendship or entertainment. His only lust was for power – well until that insolent little witch who seemed to pop up from the sand itself.

When they met, it seemed as though she had just crawled up out of some deep dismal pit of personal pathetic. He expected her to swoon and fall at his feet, the way most girls of her age and station would, but she was different. The only thing of his that interested her for quite a long time was his knowledge of magic.

His inevitable seduction of her came after much ado, but after they sustained a mutually satisfying physical relationship. Of course it had to be kept a secret for obvious reasons but they both preferred it that way – or at least that was what he thought before she disappeared without a trace.

He sighed, removing his turban and tiredly ran a hand through his hair. He could not believe he was still thinking about this. She was just one insignificant female, a single grain of sand in the vast dessert. But it didn't make any sense. If she wanted to end things she should have just said so! He thought her to be an honorable enough person to do at least that. But even so, it still didn't explain…

"Master found Sadira?" Xerxes floated into the room at a leisurely pace, knowing his owner was too preoccupied to abuse him at the moment. Mozenrath held open a small portal through which he watched over all seven desserts. Usually he located her with little effort on his part but he couldn't find the sand sorceress anywhere!

"Not. _Yet_. Xerxes." The small familiar probably had the worst timing imaginable. "It's like she's vanished out of thin air."

"Maybe Sadira vacation…" he offered. The creature could definitely understand someone needing an extended break from all the megalomania.

"For two and a half months?" He dismissed the idea at once. "Where would she even get the money?" One had to be royalty or close to it to acquire the means to travel outside of the seven desserts.

"Steal?"

Mozenrath rubbed his temples. When Sadira was around he'd almost become accustomed to having an intelligent conversation every once in a while. "No Xerxes, I'm fairly certain she couldn't have accumulated that much wealth over such a short period of time." _Unless_ she used magic. He frowned. Why was this bothering him so much?

"Why leave then?"

"Well, Xerxes, if I knew that we wouldn't be having this conversation." He gazed through the portal where carriages filled with royals and dignitaries seemed to converge upon Agrabah's palace.

"It's like the international convention of everyone who hates me." The narcissistic magician automatically assumed everything in the world pertained to him. He'd committed innumerable crimes against some of the most powerful politicians and sorcerers of their era. He was too strong of a foe to face head on, but if there was something – anything any of them could do to hurt him, none would hesitate.

A feeling of fear laced dread crept upon him. "One of them took her," he said almost inaudibly.

"One what?"

"One of my many powerful enemies! They're probably using some glamour to keep me from finding her!" It enraged him to think of any of those obese despots touching her with their grubby fingers.

Xerxes shook his gray reptilian head. "Sadira fight. Sadira strong!" The girl fought on par with his master after all.

"She's tiny," Mozenrath lamented. "And dreadfully rash. Any well trained magical assassin could have easily taken her. Well not easily," he retracted, taking a moment to consider her true skill level. "But still."

"Why they take her?"

"Because she's my…" What was she to him anyway? They were lovers but they kissed, fondled and talked a bit too much for it to be only that. They were also friends in a certain light, but friends simply did not do the things that they did (not that he knew much about friends in the first place.)

"Master's what?" The eel prompted.

"Never mind that Xerxes! Just know that whatever she is, she's _mine_, and there will be hell to pay if anyone touches her. Now away with you, I have to keep searching."

Once again, Sadira stood in a mirror, this time dressed in a floor length satin gown. A daring slit revealed flawless bronze legs. Her hair was pulled into a neat high ponytail held in place with gold clasps. She spun around, taking a minute to admire herself.

Suddenly Iago flapped in from the open window. "Hey kid! Come downstairs already, the guests are starting to arrive." The bird took a look at her and almost fell clear out of the sky. "Wow, kiddo you clean up nice! I mean when you're not filthy, dressed in rags, and trying to make Aladdin fall for you, you're a real looker."

She rolled her eyes at the crass attempt at a compliment. "Iago, do I need to turn you into something that doesn't talk?"

The bird shook his head theatrically. "No need for all that – I'm just saying, if you're lucky you might snag a prince tonight. I can train you in etiquette, I worked wonders with Al this one time-"

"Thanks for the offer," Sadira interrupted. "But I'm fine, really. Tell Aladdin and Jasmine that I'll be down in a few minutes."

Once he flapped off murmuring about how no one appreciated help these days, Sadira closed the window. "_Protexisti me a conquisitione oculos_."_ Hide me from his searching eyes. _She refortified the spell that kept Mozenrath from finding her. It was just by force of habit at this point, as she was sure he stopped looking by now. He could have his way with any sorceress or princess in the seven deserts (save for Jasmine) in a Peloponnesian minute. The thought of that made her feel somewhat uncomfortable. She shook her head and left downstairs.

"So, what's the all-star lineup?" Sadira asked Jasmine as they took their seats around the grandiose table.

"Representatives from Greece and Persia have travelled for weeks from their respective nations. From the seven deserts, the king of Ganastan is here with his wife, and the gifted king of Quarkirstan has brought his new adviser."

Sadira glanced at the young advisor who she could only describe as sleek. His intelligent blue eyes seemed to lock on her almost immediately and she managed to muster a small smile before the political discussions began. This went on for about half an hour before the sultan spoke out. "Friends, this is a celebration, not a war meeting. Now, we must feast."

Rich delicacies were brought out on ornate golden trays and the delegation quickly began eating. Sadira nibbled a bit on grapes and figs, hoping her strange lack of appetite went unnoticed. Suddenly a server approached her offering a robust curry dish. "My lady," the woman offered.

Sadira waved it away. "No thank you, I'm fine." The smell alone made her feel positively ill, so she quickly excused herself to get some air.

Once alone, Sadira sat by the fountain resting her head on her knees. She only needed a minute.

"Are you alright?" a voice asked from right above her. She straightened with a start, surprised that anyone followed her. Looking up, she saw the young adviser with the entrancing blue eyes.

"I'm fine."

He raised an eyebrow. "You don't appear so. Just a moment ago, it seemed like you were going to be ill."

"Looks can be deceiving," Sadira deadpanned. "Who are you anyway? Why did you follow me out here?" Few people in the world were nice without a cause.

"My name is Hassan, adviser to the king of Quarkirstan, and lover of beautiful women. That being said, I followed you out here with hopes of getting to know one."

Sadira rolled her eyes. "You're too pale to be from Quarkirstan, or anywhere around here for that matter. Also, I can feel your magical signature. You're gifted – a wizard. Who are you really?"

He sighed, not expecting a palace dame to be so shrewd. "My name _is_ really Hassan and I _do_ love beautiful women. But you're right. Quarkirstan isn't my home… I'm the true heir to a magical kingdom, but my father was usurped by a horrible tyrant." He looked both ways, as if the shrubbery would give him away.

A layer of cynicism peeled off the sand witch. "Tough life you've got there."

"Quite. But I plan to take back my kingdom and slay my father's murderer."

Sadira bit her lip. It sounded like a noble cause, but she didn't really condone killing. "Good luck with that…seems like you have a tough opponent though."

Hassan nodded solemnly. "This is true, but I hope to form the right alliances." He smirked at her suggestively. "Quarkirstan is an asset, but I'm also looking for something more…versatile." He paused to gaze at her intently. "You are a powerful sorceress. And beautiful."

"Both true. But why would I help you?" If she wanted to get on board with anyone's hair brained schemes she would have stayed with Mozenrath.

"Just imagine it; you as Sultana ruling at my side, your child, heir to a nation."

Sadira's eyes widened. "How did you-"

Hassan only smirked. "High magic can sense high magic. You should know this. And besides that, the signs are pretty obvious. Come on, I'm giving you the world here."

Sadira blushed, folding her arms around her middle self consciously. "But why?" she asked.

He winked suggestively. "Call me a romantic."

A/N: Here's chapter two! Does anyone have a hunch about who Hassan's father was yet? Enjoy, and please let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

Mozenrath's study was in disarray. Volumes upon volumes of magical texts were piled on his desk and the floor alongside experiments both failed and in progress. For three days and three nights he led two existences – one working in his citadel, the other waiting in the realm of _Allucinor_. It was a dream world where the gifted could meet and converse even when there were dimensions between them.

The gauntlet glowed dark blue with power while a painful throbbing settled in the bones of his arm. _Allucinor _was meant to be used in sleep and for a night at most. The power required to keep it open for days at a time taxed him greatly. He winced, rubbing his chest briefly as the ache started there as well.

"Master need sleep." Xerxes glanced up at the sorcerer as disapprovingly as a subordinate could manage. "Not safe."

Mozenrath made the eel quiver with an ominous stare. "What I need is to have a conversation with something that doesn't have scales."

Xerxes floated down dejectedly and leaned against one of the many discarded scrolls. Mozenrath sighed irritably – no reason for the miserable creature to be that much more so. "I'm finding Sadira." The slight elaboration of intentions made the situation that much more ironic and Xerxes noted it. The sand witch was the only person known to bring him down from his bouts of insomnia.

"Sadira no sleep either?"

"Of course she has. The timing has merely been off. I'd have to cross her mind when she's on the cusp of dreaming…" which shouldn't have taken nearly this long. Surely her mind hadn't been tampered with this severely.

Xerxes leered toothily and chuckled. "Maybe Sadira move on," he tested.

"Yes, because I'm to take advice from a host to pestilence." His dark eyes suddenly glazed over as he became preoccupied in the other world. "There she is." It was all going according to plan.

It took Sadira a moment to gain her bearings. A minute ago she was in her bed at the palace, and now – nothing. The world was an empty room with white barren walls, yet she could hear the low hum of magic in the air. "The dream world," she whispered. She'd only read about it in the ancient sand scrolls, but she knew enough. The first thing she did was conceal her stomach. It wouldn't do any good for any more wizards to know she was with child. But why was she here?

"Look who finally decided to make a guest appearance." The velveteen tone matched with an air of condescension was enough to make her twitch.

"Mozenrath." Across the vast whiteness stood her covert lover. She'd almost forgotten how tall he was.

He gave her a rare smile. "Were you expecting the Roman Emperor?" With a wave of his hand the space transformed into a throne room with marble columns for walls. "Because soon I'll go by that title as well."

Sadira giggled. One had to love his confidence. "They do say that Rome wasn't built in a day." Still she changed her clothes from street garb to the attire of a western empress. Her silken white gown hung off one shoulder from a round golden clasp.

"_They_ didn't have magic." He placed his hand on her lower back, pulling her slightly toward him. Her eyes were shinier and bluer than the Crystal of Ix. "Sadira, I grow tired of this. Where are you? Where have you been?"

She nuzzled her face into his chest. "I can't tell you that."

Mozenrath sighed. He kissed her lips once, unable to restrain himself. "What trouble did you manage to get yourself into this time?"

"Moze…" she drawled. "What are you talking about?"

"Just trying to find out what has my poor dessert flower wilting." The biting sarcasm seemed to stick to the marble. "Now are you captured or merely in hiding?"

Sadira laughed. "In hiding? No, I was offered a job!" Did he really think she was that incapable of taking care of herself?

He raised an eyebrow. "You work? I thought you just wanted to be a princess. And what kind of job requires you to drop completely off the radar?" It wasn't hard to deduce she was lying about something. He'd have to trick her into revealing it before time ran out.

She rolled her eyes kissed him again. "The one I have. Let's not talk about it. And for your information, I only wanted to live like a princess. A goal I've already achieved without any help from you." Sadira walked around the room and sat on one of the ornate thrones – curiously enough there were two. "I've read magic is different in the west," she said, changing the subject before he could ask any more questions. "Some sorceress turned herself into a dragon once."

"Jafar turned himself into a snake," he pointed out teasingly. Her childlike attention span was ever amusing. "Not that anyone would consider him a particularly skilled magician." When he sat beside her a wavelike crowd of subjects became the view from the Roman palace. They were paying homage to their apparent rulers. Mozenrath smirked. "I didn't do that."

"You have to admit it's a nice touch." A chalice of fine wine appeared in her outstretched right hand. (Having a drink in the dream world wouldn't hurt the baby.) She sipped it almost elegantly before passing it along to her lover.

"Spanish wine," he commented, swirling it in the cup like a true connoisseur, though he rarely indulged in alcohol. "You're beginning to act so much like a royal its frightening."

Sadira blushed slightly, nibbling on a fig from the fruit platter she conjured. "This was in the citadel. It's the one from the last time we-"

They shared an intimate glance. "I remember." How could he not? The setting changed once again and they were back in his bedchambers. She wore only a white gauzy nightgown, and he expensive bed robes. Everything was as it had been. The wine, the chocolate, grapes and figs. Everything except them.

Sadira sprawled out on the bed, remembering. This was the night that changed everything. If not for chance and fertility, they would still be having nights like that one.

"You're unhappy again," he noted. "It would be nice if you'd say so this time before you take off for months."

Sadira bit her lower lip tentatively. "I wasn't unhappy," she said in a small voice.

"But…" he prompted.

She sighed, "Things are complicated Moze." She rubbed her neck as obligation and desire waged war within her.

Mozenrath brought a hand to his temple. Severe fatigue from the real world was beginning to catch up to him. "You street children do always worsen matters you're your lies." His eyes closed in exhaustion.

Sadira rolled her eyes at the two sided barb. He never relinquished a chance to talk down Aladdin. A knowing smile crossed her lips when she saw his unguarded state. She crawled behind him and started massaging his shoulders. Her brow furrowed with concentration and concern. He was so tense. "Are you _trying_ to work yourself to death?"

He leaned into the massage. "You're good at that." He could ignore her questions as well.

She placed a strategic kiss at the meeting place of his neck and shoulder. "I am the last remaining sorceress of the sand." Her voice swelled low and flirtatious as a snake charmer's flute. "I'm good at everything."

And he could name quite a few of those things. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves-"

"Shh!" She phased his superiority with an interlude of passionate kissing. It ended with her lounging on the bed and him leaning over her. A contented glow adorned her bronzy skin.

He smirked. "Sadira, if I didn't know better, I'd say you still desire me."

"Like a lamp would oil, not that it matters" the witch admitted bashfully as she twisted the sheet around her finger. "Now sleep." She clapped her hands twice and the room became dark. As if magnetic, their bodies drew close and his arm curled protectively around her. Sadira sighed contentedly when his hand came to rest on her stomach. It _almost_ made her rethink her stance on things.

"Moze…" she whispered.

"Mmm?" the sorcerer was already half asleep.

Sadira suppressed a chuckle – how articulate. "If you were to ever have a son, what would you name him?" There was a moment's pause and she assumed he hadn't heard her.

"…Malchior."

Sadira pursed her lips, thinking. It was a very magical name; and noble as well. She was wondering exactly what it meant to him when he murmured, "You're not pregnant are you?" against her thick mane of hair. She knew his humor well and was certain it was a joke, but it still took all her mental capacity not to tense or quiver.

"Sure," she said in her most sardonic tone. "I'm already four months along." Mozenrath's low laughter vibrated against her back while his thumb caressed her abdomen. Sadira hoped she wasn't sweating. Well, in her own moral defense, at least she told him.

A/N: My apologies for the short and incredibly late update. I'm drowning in homework, student council meetings and play rehearsals please let me know what you think. Input from readers will probably influence the order in which I write certain events. Also, do you like Sadira and Moze meeting in the dream world, or is it just cheating?


	4. Chapter 4

In the harsh dessert there are many reasons to be wary of the night. Only the truly wicked thrive in it. The unforgiving onyx skies hide their convoluted intentions from the eyes of the honest. And even if they didn't, some would then just blind them.

The gifted king of Quarkirstan rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He slumped about his throne in an undignified manner. Before him stood his fair skinned advisor dressed in a dark wizard's cloak.

"Odd time for a meeting boy," he yawned. "What do you propose?"

"I plan to return to Agrabah and strengthen our ties there. Their vizier is a formidable sorceress. She will be a valuable asset." Hassan hated having to explain his plans to such a simpleton. His father had maimed such poor magicians for sport.

The old man puffed up his chest and cleared his throat. "And how exactly do you intend to solicit the girl's support."

"The same way any man obtains what he wants from a woman. I'll woo her. We'll put on a show greater than that Ali-Aladdin's when he came for Agrabah's princess." He tactfully left out the fact that his quarry was pregnant, preferring to keep the situation in the simplest terms possible.

The king's face was set in a deep frown. "How will you acquire the means for this exhibition?"

Hassan's blue eyes were bright with challenge. "From the royal treasury of course."

"Hassan, the people Quarkirstan aren't starving to death but it isn't a time of surplus either. We cannot afford to spend astronomical amounts of gold on a social climbing witch-"

Hassan pulled a talisman from under his shirt and held it up to the king's face. "You will do as I say."

"Y-yes." His voice droned as the ruler fell under his spell.

"You will provide me with unlimited funds."

"Un-unlimited," he repeated. Hassan lowered the talisman. Jafar's methods he read about were tedious but effective.

"Good. I'm glad we had this talk." He took broad steps toward the guard waiting by the enormous set of doors.

"Ready the camels."

* * *

Sadira fidgeted under the sheets. She couldn't shake this strange feeling of impending doom. She rolled over on her side, shuttering.

"Are you cold?" Mozenrath was a notably light sleeper. Sometimes even a change in her breathing could wake him.

She shook her head. "No, I'm okay. I don't think temperature changes in here unless you want it to…I just have this bad feeling."

The young sorcerer smirked. "As bad as your hair on a humid day?"

Sadira rolled her eyes. "Hilarious." She paused, taking a second to actually think about it. "Not exactly that bad, but it's in that neighborhood. I just wish I knew what was coming."She turned over the pillow and nestled her face deep into the cooler side.

"Let it come," Mozenrath replied offhandedly. "You lay beside the most powerful wizard of our time. What can hurt you?"

_Other than you, _she mused, _not much. _Sadira managed a short laugh. "You'd be surprised." Suddenly there was a flash of light within their dreamscape. Her hands turned translucent, followed by her feet and forearms. "What's happening?"

"You're waking up," the wizard informed. "In the real world." He withheld a subtle smirk. This was more of a clue than she'd ever imagine.

Sadira cussed quietly. She wasn't quite ready to part ways with him yet. "We should do this again sometime." She sighed before disappearing altogether. Her sparkling eyes were the last thing to go.

Back in the palace, a young maid stood tentatively by her bedside. "L-lady Sadira?"She didn't know the sand witch to sleep this long or this heavily.

"What do you want?" she growled. "Is it breakfast time already?" The sun was blinding as it streamed through the decorated curtains. Sadira wiped the back of her hand across her forehead. It easily could have been the hottest day of the year.

"No, my lady. You've slept through breakfast. It is mid-afternoon. The princess awaits your input on a royal matter."

Sadira sat up slowly, noting how the slightly sweaty nightdress clung to her body. "Yes of course, thank you. Would you mind drawing me a cool bath in the other room?" She still found it polite to ask even though her servant didn't have much of a choice.

"Yes, my lady. Shall I also bring something light from your wardrobe for you to change into?" If the princess' wardrobe was any indicator, in Agrabah the words light and skimpy were synonymous. Sadira was about to agree when she remembered the detail of her telltale tummy.

"No, no. That's okay. I'll find something myself." With that, she dismissed her maid and was left to meditate on how to keep this skeleton tightly bound in her closet – or better yet her robes.

* * *

"Master awake? Master saw Sadira? Where she go-"

"Enough with the questions Xerxes." He mounted the stairs to one of his laboratories. "I have to find a sundial. If it's daylight where she went, then she's closer than I originally thought."

Xerxes floated behind him, a semi-clever grin plastered on his reptilian features. "Master should marry sand witch."

Mozenrath abruptly dropped the time instrument he was pulling off of a shelf. He turned on his familiar, thoroughly agitated. "What was that?"

Xerxes flew carefully out of reach. "Master love Sadira like hero love princess – should marry her."

Mozenrath sighed. The situation was almost kind of funny. The gauntlet began to glow dangerously red. "What in the cosmos are you babbling about? Now choose your answer wisely before I turn you into Mongolian barbeque."

The flying eel took partial cover behind a shelf of lotions and potions his master wasn't careless enough to destroy. "If Xerxes found pretty magic eel who understands Xerxes, Xerxes mate her. Master loves Sadira because master still looks. If Mozenrath marry sand witch, she no leave. Master happy."

The sorcerer shook his head. "That irritating little sand fly – my wife? Xerxes, you grow more deranged by the hour. You simpleton, I have only two loves; power and world conquest. Sadira is neither, just some mild entertainment."

"What about Citrali? Master loved her-"

"NEVER SAY HER NAME IN MY PRESENCE." The wizard sighed, composing himself. He waited for the heated flush to drain from his face before speaking again. "You know better than that. Romance does not exist in my world, only power."

Xerxes gulped, now wrapping his tail around an especially rare concoction. "But master no plan to conquer anything. Master only look for Sadira…"

Mozenrath looked up murderously. He had a point…not for long anyway. He waved off the comment. "Circumstantial. I've just been waiting for the right conditions to unleash my latest strategy. Now the time is at hand." With a flick of his wrist, he opened a small portal. Now, go into Agrabah and survey the land before my conquest." It exerted minimal effort from his gauntlet to move the eel from his hiding place and push him headfirst into the city. The sorcerer turned back to his work place…now about that sundial.

* * *

Sadira descended the palace stairs in some of her heaviest robes. It was all she could do to disguise her new bodily developments. The sweltering weather was just another problem stacked against her.

"Hey Jasmine," she greeted upon entering the princess' sitting room.

She put down her jade hairbrush. "Why hello sleeping beauty." She giggled giddily. "It took all my restraint not to drag you out of bed and tell you the news!"

"What news?"

The princess burst into a smile made of gumdrops and fairy dust. "Aladdin and I are going to try to have a baby!"

Sadira wished she had some sand to burry herself under – the irony of it all. "Wow Jasmine, that's wonderful! But a baby…that's a lot to handle, don't you think? And being pregnant feels like dying," she brushed a hair out of her face, "at least that's what I heard," she tacked on at the last second.

Jasmine curled her legs under her. "I know, but I've already been married a while, we're so in love. And as father gets older he worries about the line of succession. Besides, I want him to be able to know his grandchild."

Sadira pursed her lips. "Family is so important." She looked down guiltily. Grandparents – one more thing her son would never have.

Jasmine stood up abruptly. "We have to go. The royal physician and a midwife are waiting in the parlor to start my examination. I wouldn't let them start without you there."

"The vizier gets input on this kind of thing too?" It was no wonder how Jafar got so out of hand.

Jasmine smiled, taking the other girl's hand. "Nope, but my best friend does. Now come on, let's get going."

Aladdin was already in the parlor awaiting his wife along Genie and all the other usual suspects. The sultan was also present.

"How is the girl late for her own appointment?" Iago squawked.

"I was waiting on Sadira," Jasmine defended.

"It's not her appointment! Ugh, I've been waiting here so long I'm molting. What does sandy here know about babies anyway? Last time I checked, she couldn't get a guy in her knickers if she paid him!"

"Hourglass," Sadira sang. "That's all I'm saying."

The parrot flew to the far side of the room and stuck his tongue out.

"Iago behave," Aladdin said. "This is important."

At this time the midwife stood. "Quite. Now we will examine the princess to make sure any pregnancies in the near future will run smoothly. Take a seat on this stool your highness, if it pleases you."

They asked Jasmine a series of questions about her general health and mental state and all her answers were more than reassuring. Then the palace physician began her physical.

Sadira tried to remain engaged, but the moments ticked by slower than a sand slug trudging across the Sahara. Beads of sweat rolled down her face and neck and several times she had to remind herself to breathe. She was trapped in her own personal heat wave, a separate entity from the one raging outside.

Genie buzzed over to her in the form of a blue bumblebee. "Pstt. Hey kiddo, I'm no expert, but maybe you should peel off some of those layers. It's hotter than the underworld, and I know! I've met Hades himself. He's a really cool dude once you get past the blue fire and-"

Sadira's head spun trying to follow his story on its twisted path. "I'm okay Genie," she dismissed. "I'm just trying out a new look."

"Well you look sick if my opinion counts for anything. You kids nowadays and your fashion. But okay, I get the point. This bug knows when to buzz off." In a flash he turned back into his big blue self and watched the rest of the appointment.

Sadira's eyes glazed over. She heard the visitors give Jasmine relaxation tips and recommend fertility enhancing foods but her mind was elsewhere. She saw Aladdin bend down on one knee to kiss Jasmine's stomach and rub it. She heard the latter laugh and remind him that there was nothing in there yet.

She'd grown out of most of her envies concerning the princess – mostly because she was deserving of all her good fortune – but things like this still made her burn inside. It was beyond riches at this point. Why couldn't she also have a doting father, and a loving husband? Why couldn't she attract a man who'd bend down on one knee to kiss her stomach?

To be fair, she hadn't given the man in her life much of a chance to do so. Nevertheless, the great Lord Mozenrath humbling himself enough to love a woman, let alone an unborn child? It was unimaginable. But still she conjured it in her mind's eye. She saw an impossible future with a person she would not, could not allow herself to love.

Then, the world went black and she saw nothing.

A/N: Cliffhanger! Pretty emotional chapter, huh? I tried to lessen the blow by limiting most of the melodrama to introspection. In other news, please let me know your opinions on what should happen next (What are your priorities?) I have a rough idea of what's going to take place, but no concrete order of events. Until next time!


	5. Chapter 5

"Sadira!"

Aladdin and Jasmine rushed to her side at once. "Oh my…her nose is bleeding!" The princess cried. "Genie do something!"

The blue mystic changed into a floating medical text. "Hold on, this is gonna take a while. Hehehe I'm not certified yet."

"It's the heat," the physician said. "Put something underneath her head. Have someone bring cold water and a cloth for her nose." The directions were followed at once.

"We should pull back some of the layers," the midwife interjected. She pulled tentatively at the lavish robes. "She's probably cooking in there."

"That's what I said!" The genie returned to his original form. Jasmine took over the undressing, as she was much more knowledgeable about this kind of attire.

"This is weird," she murmured while unfastening a belt. There seemed to be a lot more Sadira under there than she remembered. After some ado the robes were wrenched open and she was left in only an under gown.

Aladdin averted his eyes respectfully but his wife stared, amber eyes wide with interest. Said interest mingled with confusion as she tried to form words. "She…she's-"

"She's pregnant!" The midwife exclaimed gleefully.

"What?" Iago squawked. "The classless lass got knocked up? **By who** is the question? I'm so perplexed I'm molting! Oi, this is getting redundant."

Aladdin ran his hand through his hair, thinking. The others had no inkling how rough the streets of Agrabah could be. The law often failed to protect the 'lowly' street mice from certain types of predators.

"We should bring her upstairs."

Jasmine stood, but made no other movements. She was numb with shock. "Why…why didn't she tell me?" They were best friends, weren't they?

* * *

Xerxes floated above the crowds clustered at the edges of Agrabah's marketplace. People of all ages and stations of life lined the streets to watch an opulent procession go by.

"Another suitor for the princess," said the irritable sugar-date vendor.

"No, you idiot," his friend admonished, "She has been married for over a year now. This one has come for the new vizier. She's a real sorceress, this one."

Xerxes lowered himself to better hear the conversation better. News about a new magic worker in the area would be vital information to his master.

The date vendor spat in disgust. "Sorceress my Persian rug – the girl is nothing more than an upstart street mouse. She's stolen from my cart countless times, and how does the royal family punish her? They make her nobility! Where's the justice?"

Xerxes' tail flicked up in interest. Hadn't Sadira been a thief in the past? She could have stolen her way across the seven deserts if she wanted to. Also, Mozenrath had mentioned that she had an uncanny passion for dates and figs. He would have to look into this.

"Hey, is that a flying worm?" someone shouted.

"Someone get the broom!"

And that was Xerxes' cue to get out of there. He soared out of the crowd and over the procession, astonished by the gaudy show of wealth. More cultured rulers such as the one he served only tolerated excess when it was useful.

The magically inclined magical familiar shivered when he felt the magical signature wafting from the ornately decorated palanquin. He almost cried out. It felt like Destane before the magician was overthrown by his apprentice. It felt like years upon years of savage brutality. It was something he never expected to feel again. Feeling scared and slightly unhinged, the eel made a beeline for the palace.

He floated through a window undetected by the princess who was having a grave discussion with the royal physician. The eel quickly ducked behind a curtain.

"And you're sure she'll be okay?" prompted Jasmine.

"Yes, your majesty. Lady Sadira will be fine once she rests and stays out of the sun for a spell. You needn't worry."

Xerxes smirked triumphantly. He wasn't often correct in his guesses, so now he would revel in it.

The young ruler stopped pacing and took a seat on a pile of cushions. "I know, but all this excitement with Lord Hassan might affect her badly. I have half a mind to just send him home. Who does he think he is showing up unannounced anyway?"

The physician thought better of mentioning that Aladdin also showed up unannounced to present his suit. "I haven't the slightest idea, my princess, but I must check on Lady Sadira now."

"Of course," Jasmine said. "I had to find Aladdin anyway. Thank you for your time and expertise, as always."

As soon as the princess was gone, Xerxes followed the physician through a labyrinth of hallways and corridors that led to the young vizier's chambers. He shot under the bed as soon as the door opened as to go undetected.

After an agonizingly long wait, the eel was left alone with the sleeping girl and he conducted his own inspection. She looked really uncomfortable. And why did her stomach look so swollen? Did she eat too much and pass out? She didn't seem the type to do that. He decided to ask.

"Sadira?" He nuzzled the side of her face. "Sand witch, wake up!" He gave a frustrated huff. Why were human beings so incredibly dense? "Why you leave? If Sadira never leave, this never happen!" Realizing he could do no more for her, the eel opened his portal and transported back to the citadel.

"Well, what did you find out?" Mozenrath demanded. He was still fiddling with that old sundial.

"Master, Xerxes found Sadira! Sadira in Agrabah – in palace!"

He dropped the sundial. All this time she'd been practically under his nose, less than a quarter mile from her former residence. "What's she doing there?"

"Sand witch is royal vizier but-"

"That sneaky little – only she could have pulled off something like this," his tone was impressed and almost proud, "I mean, surely she's smart enough, but for someone of her station… Then again that street rat Aladdin will be their next sultan so bloodlines can't mean much…" He stopped to think a moment. She'd done so well for herself. In the past year or so he watched her come into her own. She changed from an amateur with a scroll into a magical innovator. He respected her too much to waltz in and destroy all her hard work over a tryst, despite how much he hated her employers.

Mozenrath sighed. "Was she good at it Xerxes?" He could only imagine her bossing around dignitaries twice her age and thrice her size.

"Xerxes doesn't know, master. Sand witch was-"

The poor creature was cut off once again. "Never mind; stupid question. How could I expect you to know?"

"Xerxes doesn't know, but master…"

"Yes, what is it Xerxes?" He wondered what could possibly have him so antsy.

"Sadira not well. Sand witch not wake up. Princess very worried." Xerxes braced himself for a blow. His master wasn't known for his skills in receiving bad news. "…Also, sand witch has gotten big." There was just no other way for him to describe the strange bulge.

"What? Open the portal, take me to her!" Reputation be damned, he had to see her now. Such terror hadn't seized him since the incident with the book of Khartoum. With a wave of his tail, Xerxes did as he was told and they were back in the new vizier's quarters.

Sadira rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. It was still terribly hot, but at least she wasn't still being pressed down by those horrid robes. She gasped, realizing that she was back in her room. Everyone had to know by now.

She moaned, head in her hands. "This is a disaster."

"And growing worse by the minute." Mozenrath entered her room via portal. "Honestly Sadira," he said sardonically, "You ought to stop talking to yourself. It isn't becoming of a _royal vizier_."

Startled, she pulled the sheet up to cover more of her body, but it was futile. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that he saw the small but pronounced bump. "And you shouldn't be here at all," she grumbled into the linens. "How the hell did you find me?"

"Xerxes find Sadira!" The little eel did a back flip in mid air before curling around the sand witch's neck. Sighing, she scratched his head. She couldn't really be mad at him. "Xerxes miss sand witch. Don't leave again."

"I'm sorry Xerxes." Her voice lowered to a conspiratorial tone. "Next time I'll be sure to take you with me."

Mozenrath was about to make a comment about her courtesy regarding a pet when he finally saw the elephant in the room. It all made sense now, everything from her tearful departure nearly five months before to her question about the name. She was with child, presumably his child - and she meant for him to never know.

"Leave us Xerxes," the sorcerer interrupted. He literally had to swallow his fury. "Go chase some of the guards around. Surely they can use the cardio."

After nuzzling Sadira's face fondly, the eel dejectedly followed his orders.

After a silence more pregnant than the girl in question, Sadira spoke up. "You know." She couldn't manage to meet his eyes.

"No thanks to your transparency. This is not at all what I envisioned." To put it frankly he thought that they'd be making love by now, but given the current circumstances it hardly seemed proper.

"I didn't plan this, Moze, you have to know that."

He took a seat next to her on the bed. "I take it you also didn't plan to tell me; assuming that this situation is in fact any of my concern." He half expected her to recoil at the cutting remark but instead she glared at him. The bowl of sand on her bedside table began to swirl violently.

"How dare you even imply that-"

"_How dare I, Sadira_?" He challenged.

"You KNOW I was not with anyone else!" He had been the first and only to open her flower. She just didn't mean for it to be pollinated.

"Then why else would you hide this from me?" She was maybe the only human he ever came close to trusting. He found her decent.

"I was scared! There is _nothing_ about you that would indicate that you would want anything to do with this. I know you. You want power so much you'll let yourself die for it!" Sadira stopped to take a few settling breaths. She didn't ever want to get into this with him, but now it was all spilling out like rain from a storm cloud. "You want to rule the seven deserts and I get that. I was, and am still willing to take care of this on my own." She shut her eyes to stop them from filling with tears.

He gave her a tired glance. "You are such an idiot…don't cry."

"I'm not crying."

"You're about to." Much to his chagrin, he knew every one of her miserable faces. "Any child I sire would be the heir to kingdoms-"

"Only one kingdom as of now."

"It's true; the empire is still in its expansion phase, but-"

"Mozenrath, I do not want my baby not to know the sun. I do not want him to grow up surrounded by nothing but fear and death. This is no reflection of how I feel about you, but it's not about me anymore. I will not raise a child in the Black Sands. I am truly sorry, but I won't let him be pulled into your darkness."

She had expected him to be furious, but the sorcerer looked rather thoughtful. "This is something we'll have to discuss more." He paused, looking down at her stomach curiously "How long do we have?"

"I'm about halfway through, so that's about four and a half months." That was so soon. The child seemed to already be taking its toll on her. Sadira's polished bronze complexion had gone sallow and beads of sweat collected on her forehead. Her nose had taken on a reddish quality.

"You look awful." He really had no filter when it came to criticism. "Did you walk into a stone wall?"

"Well thank you Romeo," she spat. "I just had a nosebleed. It got too hot."

"How?" he asked incredulously. "You grew up under the sun...Never mind that, how do you feel?" It was odd. He never actually asked someone that before.

"I'm fine-"

"An honest answer would be preferable, if you're even capable of that."

If she didn't know any better she would have said he was worried about her. Unfortunately, this witch of the sand was streetwise. "I'm not one to complain, but honestly? I feel terrible. I've never been so sick in my life." And that was saying something considering her less than genial developmental years.

Sighing, the dark sorcerer gently pulled her to lie curled up in his lap. He stroked her back fondly with his ungloved hand and mouthed a charm that would soothe her.

Sadira chuckled. Suddenly all the heat and pressure began to peel away from her in layers. "Is this what sympathy from the great Lord Mozenrath feels like?"

He kissed the side of her face. "Don't push it." He was still beyond vexed with her and she'd hear about it. He just chose to hold his grievances until she was feeling a bit better.

Sadira rolled up her shirt tentatively. "Do you want to touch it? I can feel him sometimes. He doesn't move or anything like that yet, but his magic…"

After a bit of adjustment the hand moved from her back to her abdomen. The raw power he felt was astounding. It almost had a physical manifestation. "Such strength...he's phenomenal."

"Of course he is," Sadira whispered intimately. "He's yours."

Then a gentle knocking sounded at the door.

**A/N: **Hi guys! This has been the (incredibly late) fifth installment. To summarize, he finally knows. And strangely enough, he went easy on her. Do you think it will last? Please review and tell me what you think (if anyone out there is still interested in this story). Thanks.


End file.
